Thursday, October 27, 2011

Lily Jane Bullock Kidgell; A Grand Lady.

In this lovely portrait taken about 1905 one more child has been added to the Kidgell family. A boy named Ariel James, born 16 April 1902 in Logan. I would guess he is about three years old in this picture; Stella Lily would be ten and Fred Charles eight. Two more children would complete this family, a daughter Melba born 26 February 1906 in Pocatello, Idaho. They also raised Preston C. Affleck born 9 November 1910 in Logan who was the son of Lily Jane’s sister, Alice Bullock Affleck. Alice died six weeks after Preston was born leaving seven children. Alice requested Fred and Lily Jane to take the baby and raise him if anything happened to her.

Picture below is Melba at age four; love that bow in her hair and her sophisticated pose!

Melba Kidgell abt. 1910

Lily Jane was a dress maker/seamstress. It's most likely she made the clothes she is wearing in this portrait. Such beautiful detail in this blouse and skirt. Lily Jane was fourteen years old when she attended a school for dress making in Logan taught by Lydia Haws. She would walk from her home in Providence to Logan and home again each day she attended the dress making class. Mrs. Haws told her she received more benefit out of her work than any other girl she has ever had.

She spent many years teaching women from all over the Cache Stake to make over clothing. When all her children were married she worked six years doing alterations for the Ready-to Wear store called 'The Leader' in Logan, Utah.

(Taken from her life story by Melba K. Gedge)

During the depression years Lily Jane Kidgell had been in charge of the sewing center for the Logan Stake. This was an early fore-runner of a welfare square or Deseret Industry type of program. When the program was changed the worker's honored Lily Jane for her countless hours of service .

Subscribe To My Podcast

About Me

My 'Pioneer Heritage' is very important to me. So important I want my children, my grandchildren, my nieces and nephews and their children to have knowledge about their ancestors. My goal is to keep the living informed about the dead - to 'Honor our Ancestors'.